Mike Clevinger (SP, CLE) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 59% of Yahoo! Leagues  

ANALYSIS: Prior to a rough outing on Tuesday July 25^th, Clevinger had posted four consecutive games in which he completed six innings without allowing more than one earned run. He also racks up plenty of strikeouts as he has posted a very solid 27.2% strikeout rate backed up by an equally impressive 13.3% swinging strike rate.

His profile isn’t without concern however, as he walks 4.48 batters per nine innings. This limits his ability to pitch deep into games as he has completed more than six innings in just two of his 13 starts and has failed to complete five innings in four of his 13 starts. That also creates a potentially larger problem in that the Indians rotation continues to crowd with the return to health and form of Danny Salazar. Though Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer should both be in line to be pushed to the bullpen before Clevinger, his high strikeout and walk rate could convince the Indians his best fit is in the bullpen.

Despite some of these risks, Clevinger is worth investing in where available for his strikeout rate and strong ratios. His win potential isn’t high due to his aforementioned control problems, which limit his ability to pitch deep into games so pick him up accordingly.